San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-09-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
(Frcm Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. ~, 1887
Civil Service Commissioner Edger-
tons reply to the structures Of Mr..
Geo. VIM. Curtis, on the civil service
system is all that the true friends Of
reform have right to expect, show
ing, as it does, that President Cleve-
land and the Democratic party have
redeemed their pledges in that re-
gard, at least, to the full letter Of the
civil service act. 1t is frankly admit
ted that more Democrats than Re-
publicans are appointed because Re-
publican politicians have fostered the
false idea that members Of that party
had no chance, thus deterring many
from attempting an examination,
while, on the other hand, Democrats
had nothing to discourage their as.
pirations. Mr.. Edgerton asserts
most positively that the political
opinion of the candidates for places
are not known in any case, and that
all the names of those who pass an
examination are rated in the order Of
merit on the list of eligibles. The
Democrats who have criticised the
Administration for failing to "turn
the rascals out" fast enough, should
certainly find some comfort in study.
ing the returns of decapitations as
made by the Postoffice Department
for the past three years, which, as
Horace Greeley would say, will be
"mighty interesting reading" Dur
ing the last fiscal year 3,O4S offices
were established; discontinued, 1,500;
appointments on designations and
commissions expired, 5,863; appoint
ments on removals and suspensions,
1854; appointments on change Of
names and sites, 4S2; appointments
of postmasters of all grades during
the year, 1000; for the years 1885
and 1886, 22,747 and 9,547, respect
lively, making total of 46,373 for
the three years of Democratic Admin
istration, which I think is a pretty
fair showing from purely partisan
standpoint.
The great and good work of re-
claiming public lands from the grasp
ing and greedy railroad corporations,
who have forfeited their chartered
rights, still goes on, keeping step to
the music of reform and the rights
of the people. The most important
decision Of this kind given in years
was rendered by the Secretary of the
Interior few days since, revoking
the order of his Republican predeces-
sor, which Withdrew from settlement,
under the presumption and home
stead laws, the lands conditionally
granted by Congress to the Atlantic
& Pacific railroad company, amount
ing to twenty-five or thirty million
acres of land in this case alone; the
order applies to several other rail
roads as well, and it is at present i'm
possible to name the vast number of
acres added to the public domain.
Every honest Western settler will
be moved to toss up his hat and hands
and enthusiastically "hooray" for
Lamar, who thus courageously per-
forms q great public duty.
The death of Professor Spencer f.
Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, and Commissioner OF
Fish and Fisheries. is one of the
greatest calamities that could befall
the world of science. He devoted q
long and useful life to scientific re-
searches and literary labors, and his
works on Natural History and science
entitle him to rank with Audubon
and Agassiz, with both of whom he
has been associated in their favorite
fields of endeavor. Professor Baird
was truly benefactor of his race,
for to him the people OF the United
States are chiefly indebted for the
upbuilding of the Fish Commission,
propagation of fish in all their
waters, and the consequent cheaper
ing of that excellent article Of food.
The people of the District OF Co
lumbia are still groaning under their
burden of debt and protesting against
their form Of government, given them
by the Republicans, which is taxation
without representation. They are
are carrying a debt Of more than